Ski lock apparatus

ABSTRACT

Ski locking apparatus for attachment to a pair of skis arranged back-to-back comprises a pair of U-shaped body members each of which has parallel legs extending from a web. The legs of one member are shaped to embrace the legs of the other member. A latch bolt located between the legs of both members spans the distance between the webs and is secured at one of its ends to one of the webs and is anchored at its other end to the other of the webs.

This invention relates to portable locking apparatus for enabling askier to protect his skis against theft while he is in a warming hut orthe like.

It is common practice for a skier to interrupt his skiing at intervalsto rest, take shelter, have lunch, or the like. On these occasions it isnot always possible for the skier to keep his skies either with him orin sight and, as a result, it is not uncommon for ski thefts to occur.The theft of a pair of skies may be discouraged to a large extent if theskis are locked together. There are many different kinds of ski lockingdevices offered to sale, but most such devices have disadvantagesassociated therewith. For example, some of the currently availablelocking devices cannot be applied to skis of different size. Inaddition, some of the ski locks do not include means for securing thelocked skis to a permanent structure. In addition, some of the known skilocks are heavy, cumbersome, and awkward to use.

An object of this invention is to provide a ski lock which overcomes thedisadvantages of known ski locks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ski lock which isadaptable to the skis of all lengths, widths, and thicknesses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ski lock of thecharacter described which is light in weight, compact, and simple touse.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed outspecifically or will become apparent from the following description whenit is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of a ski lock constructedin accordance with one embodiment of the invention and fitted to atypical pair of skis;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the ski lock as viewed in thedirection of the arrows 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 andwith a padlock and cable fitted thereto;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the latchbolt forming part of the apparatusshown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded plan view, with parts broken away, of a modifiedembodiment.

A ski lock constructed in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIGS.1-4 comprises a pair of U-shaped body members 1 and 2. The body 1 has apair of substantially cylindrical, parallel legs 3 and 4 which extendfrom a web 5 joined to corresponding ends of the legs. The opposite endsof the legs are free. The body 2 has a pair of parallel, substantiallychannel-shaped legs 6 and 7 which extend from a substantiallychannel-shaped web 8 that is joined to corresponding ends of the legs 6and 7. The opposite ends of the legs 6 and 7 are free and the spacingbetween the legs 6 and 7 is sufficiently less than the spacing betweenthe legs 3 and 4 of the body 1 to enable the legs 6 and 7 to nest withor embrace the legs 3 and 4.

The apparatus includes a latch bolt 9 having a threaded stem 10 whichterminates at one end in a elongate, flattened head 11 in which is anopening 12. The web has a centrally located opening 13 therein of suchwidth as to accommodate the stem 10 and of such length as to accommodatethe head 11. The width of the opening 13, however, although greater thanthe thickness of the head 11, is less than the width of the head for apurpose presently to be explained.

Extending from the web 5 is a tubular socket 14 having an internallythreaded bore 15 in alignment with the opening 13. The socket 14 isadapted to receive the threaded stem 10 of the latch bolt.

The socket 14 is positioned substantially midway between the legs 3 and4 of the body 1, and the opening 13 in the web of the body 2 issimilarly positioned. Thus, when the legs of the respective bodies arenested, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the socket 14, together with thenested legs, provide open chambers 16 and 17 on opposite sides of thesocket for reception of a pair of skis 18. The width of each chamber 16and 17 is so selected as to be capable of accommodating a ski ofsubstantial thickness.

Most skis are arched so that their bottoms are concave, and such archingprovides a space between the back-to-back skis in which the socket 14may be accommodated. Conventional skis also are narrowest at a zonebetween their shovels and the bindings, and it is at this zone that thelocking apparatus is intended to be applied to the skis.

To condition the lock for application to a pair of skis, the latch bolt9 is rotated to a position in which the flat head 11 is coplaner withthe opening 13 in the web 8, whereupon the body member 2 may be moved tothe left, as viewed in FIG. 1, and separated from the body 1. The member1 then may be fitted onto both skis 18 between their bindings andshovels with the socket 14 interposed between the skis. The body member2 then may be reassembled in nesting relation with the body 1 so thatthe skis 18 are engaged on opposite sides by webs 5 and 8, respectively,and are trapped between the socket 14 and the nested legs of the bodies.

Prior to the final nesting of the body members 1 and 2, the latch bolt10 is adjusted longitudinally of the socket 14 so that, when the webs 5and 8 engage the opposite sides of the skis 18, the head 11 will occupythe opening 13, as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In this position of thehead 11, the bolt 9 cannot be rotated because of interference betweenthe head 11 and the edges of the opening 13.

Following assembly of the bodies 1 and 2 on the skis 18, the hasp 19 ofthe padlock 20 may be fitted through the opening 12 in the bolt head 11.The relative positions of the head 11 and the web 8 should be such thatthe hasp 19 prevents separation of the members 1 and 2, and the relativepositions of the webs 5 and 8 should be such that they engage the edgesof the skis 18 so as to prevent relative movement of the webs 5 and 8toward one another a distance sufficient to enable the head 11 to berotated. In thses positions of the parts, the bolt is securely anchoredto the webs 5 and 8 and the lock is securely attached to the skis 18.

If desired, a cable 21 may be passed through the hasp 19 of the padlockto provide means for anchoring the locked skis to a permanent structuresuch as a tree.

To disengage the lock from the skis 18, the hasp 19 is removed from thebolt head 11, whereupon the body members 1 and 2 may be separated fromone another. The body members 1 and 2 then may be reassembled with oneanother and placed in the skier's pocket.

To guard against inadvertent loss of the latch bolt 9 when the lock isnot engaged, the socket 14 may be dimpled as at 22 so as to provide africtional resistance to rotation of the bolt.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 is the same as that previouslydescribed except that the body member 2 is replaced by a U-shaped body23 having a flat web 24 joined at its opposite ends to a pair of tubulararms 25 and 26 which are of such diameter as telescopingly to embracethe arms 3 and 4 of the body member 1. The tubular arms 25 and 26 areopen at both ends thereof, thereby enabling the arms 3 and 4 to passcompletely through the arms 25 and 26. The web 24 has an opening 27therein which corresponds to the opening 13 and which cooperates withthe latch bolt 9 in the same manner as previously has been described.

The disclosed embodiments are representative of presently preferredforms of the invention, but are intended to be illustrative rather thandefinitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.

I claim:
 1. Lock apparatus adapted for mounting on a pair of skis andcomprising assembled first and second U-shaped body members, said firstbody member having spaced apart, substantially parallel legs joined atcorresponding ends by a web, said second body member having spacedapart, substantially parallel legs joined at corresponding ends by aweb, the legs of each of said body members being shorter in length thanthe width of the said skis, the legs of one of said body membersslidably embracing the legs of the other of said body members, and saidwebs being spaced apart by the legs of said body members, the combinedlengths of the respective legs being at least as great as the width ofsaid skis; an elongate anchor member rigidly fixed to one of said websbetween the legs of the latter and projecting from said one of said webstoward the other of said webs, said anchor member having a length lessthan that of the legs of said one of said webs, said other of said webshaving an opening therein in alignment with said anchor member; anelongate latchbolt one end of which is in threaded, axially adjustableengagement with said anchor member and extending in prolongation thereoftoward said other of said webs; and a head carried by said latchbolt atits outer end and extending through said opening in said .[.outer.]..Iadd.other .Iaddend.of said webs, said .[.web.]. .Iadd.head.Iaddend.being of such size and shape relative to said opening as to beslidably but non-rotatably accommodated in said opening.
 2. Apparatusaccording to claim 1 wherein the legs of one of said body members arechannel-shaped.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the legs ofsaid body members are tubular.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 whereinsaid threaded member comprises a socket into which said one end of saidlatchbolt extends.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said socketis deformed and exerts a frictional force on said latchbolt. 6.Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said opening and said head are ofsuch dimensions that said head may pass through said opening in only asingle relative position of said head and said opening.
 7. Apparatusaccording to claim 6 wherein said head is elongate so as to occupy saidopening and project beyond said other web, said head having an aperturetherein for the accommodation of a hasp. .Iadd.
 8. Lock apparatusadapted for mounting on a pair of skis and comprising assembled firstand second U-shaped body members, said first body member having spacedapart, substantially parallel legs joined at corresponding ends by aweb, said second body member having spaced apart, substantially parallellegs joined at corresponding ends by a web, the legs of each of saidbody members being shorter in length than the width of the said skis,the legs of one of said body members slidably embracing the legs of theother of said body members, and said webs being spaced apart by the legsof said body members, the combined lengths of the respective legs beingat least as great as the width of said skis; an elongate anchor memberrigidly fixed to one of said webs between the legs of the latter andprojecting from said one of said webs toward the other of said webs,said other of said webs having an opening therein in alignment with saidanchor member; an elongate latchbolt one end of which is in threaded,axially adjustable engagement with said anchor member and extending inprolongation thereof toward said other of said webs; and a head carriedby said latchbolt at its outer end and extending through said opening insaid other of said webs, said head being of such size and shape relativeto said opening as to be slidably but non-rotatably accommodated in saidopening..Iaddend.